Apple Will Not Present a 5G iPhone Anytime Soon

Almost every major player in the wireless industry is trying to find a way to incorporate the 5G technology as soon as possible into their devices. For example, next month we are expecting Verizon’s 5G Home wireless broadband service, while LG and Sprint are looking forward to shipping out the first smartphone that is capable of using this next-gen technology.

However, one company remains unmoved in the cavalcade of go-getters and that company is named Apple. This consumer electronics titan released this Wednesday three new iPhones and a new version of the Apple Watch but it will most definitely choose to stay out of the 5G competition, at least for the foreseeable future. So far, it is still unclear that the new cellular tech will reach the iPhone by 2020.

Apple is the kind of company that likes to take its time figuring out the new technologies before it decides to incorporate them into its products. It stayed behind even when its Android rivals were adopting things like wireless charging or mobile payments and it remained one step behind with at least one generation when everyone started to adopt the 3G and 4G LTE cellular capabilities. This is why the majority of industry analysts expect the same kind of delay with 5G, even if the technology draws nearer to becoming reality.

Ian Fogg, an analyst for OpenSignal who deals in collecting and analyzing data from various mobile networks, believes that 5G is arriving a little quicker than what was expected. If Apple decides to stand aside and take the slow road ahead, it may be the only company to do so or at least one of the few that choose to follow such a scenario. The rest of them will probably immediately embrace 5G, which is the next generation of wireless technology which is believed to change the world.

Besides all the hype and rumors that revolve around 5G, its responsiveness, enhanced speed and the ability to control multiple devices that don’t include your phone may change our way of living. It is because of this level of excitement which follows 5G that companies ranging from telecom equipment makers such like Nokia to wireless carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon or smartphone manufacturers like Samsung are jumping in, as it will allow them to possess another feature which would allow them to boast.

The fact that Apple can allow itself to take its time incorporating the 5G technology is yet another piece of evidence that the Californian tech giant has no need for help in generating its own hype. Of course, another such example is the launch of its new, more expensive iPhones which took place earlier this week. So far, the company couldn’t be available for comment.

5G iPhone

When it was launched almost 10 years ago, the original iPhone represented a huge step forward for smartphones. With its full browser capabilities and touchscreen interface, among other characteristics, it completely changed and chiseled the idea of how a smartphone should look like and behave. All which was included worked tremendously, besides its slow connection. Right now, when we live in a 4G world, expecting the next evolution, it is easy to forget that ten years ago iPhones worked on a 2G radio. A website loading took forever and you felt the network struggling with it.

Even then, other companies opted for the 3G upgrade which was definitely faster. Apple waited a year before it decided to incorporate the new tech into its devices, particularly the iPhone 3G. Years later, when the 4G LTE was available, Apple did it again, waiting until 2013 to release the iPhone 5 which included the upgrade. This was more than 2 years later after Verizon showcased its first batch of smartphones with 4G.

Even last year when almost all Android smartphones chose to go supersonic with the Gigabit LTE speeds, Apple said ‘pass’ on that technology preferring to release the iPhone X, the 8 Plus and the iPhone 8 with just 4G. Just this year, Apple chose to include the Gigabit LTE into its iPhone XR, XS and XS Max. The company chose to bet big on the mature 4G network, instead of gambling on the new 5G technology.